My Year in Books 2018

Well Rants readers, here we are again, at the end of another year. It’s been a tough one in many ways but helping us to get through it as always, is the world of literature. This year wasn’t about reading challenges and reading as many books as I possibly could – as that usually distracts me from other things – it was simply about enjoying books, taking my time and exploring new authors. So the numbers might be lower but there have been some good ‘uns. As always, I will take it month by month and choose a favourite for each month.

Books I Read in January

1.  SAGA Volume 5: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
2.  Letters Home: Sylvia Plath
3.  A Wrinkle in Time: Madeline L’engle
4.   Italian Short Stories for Intermediates: Olly Richards
5.   Everybody Hurts: Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan (Library)
6.   Nancy Drew Files #100 Dance Till You Die: Carolyn Keene (Kindle)
7.   Nancy Drew Files #20 Very Deadly Yours: Carolyn Keene (Kindle)
8.   Awful Auntie: David Walliams

Quite a mix of a month. My first taste of Nancy Drew sparked by my obsession with Riverdale, the completion of a heavy book of letters from Sylvia Plath and my last short stories in Italian before I moved on to novels. But alas, SAGA steals the show this month. What a series, what wonderful minds created this, and long may it continue.

Books I Read in February

1    1.    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: J.K Rowling (Re-read)
2.      Forever: Judy Blume (Kindle)
3.      The Summer of Us: Maggie Harcourt (Kindle)
4.      When Everything Feels Like the Movies: Raziel Reid (Library)
5.      Love, Hate and Other Filters: Samira Ahmed (Kindle)
6.      State of Grace: Rachael Lucas (Kindle)

A big kindle month with lots of great YA. I finally read Forever by Judy Blume, which escaped me as a child and yet is talked about by authors, in film and TV all the time. I thought it was about time I read it. It was quite tough to pick a winner this month but it goes to Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed, a powerful debut which handles difficult issues with grace, humour and romance. Check it out.

Books I Read in March

1    1.    The Princess Diarist: Carrie Fisher (Kindle)
2.      The Underground Railroad: Colson Whitehead (Library)
3.      Sofia Khan is Not Obliged: Ayisha Malik (Kindle)
4.      A Skinful of Shadows: Frances Hardinge (Library)
5.      One of us is Lying: Karen M. McManus
6.     Silence is Goldfish: Annabel Pitcher

I learned a lot this month. I learned that Princess Leia and Hans Solo were in love on and off set. I learned about the Underground Railroad and I learned about muslim dating. If I could have picked two winners of the month, the second would have been Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik, which is fantastic and hilarious and I can’t wait to read the sequel, however, One of Us is Lying is a such a great YA who-done-it, written from several perspectives, and it was so good I could barely put the book down. I also bought it from a lovely charity book shop in a crooked old house which gives me very happy memories.

Books I Read in April

1    1.      Uccidere per amore e per odio: Cinzia Medaglia
2.      The Falling sky: Pippa Goldschmidt
3.      Swing Time: Zadie Smith
4.      The Tightrope Walkers: David Almond
5.      Black dove, White Raven: Elizabeth Wein

April was about reading some books off my shelves and having a rest from the kindle screen. It worked out well as I read an adult book by the great David Almond – love him! – and I read a new author: Pippa Goldschmidt, but the top honours go to Zadie Smith. I love her writing, it's so gritty and real, you can almost taste it, and it's even better when you live in London because you know some of the places she is describing. Zadie, if you’re giving lessons, you have an eager student here.

Books I Read in May

1    1.      Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda: Becky Albertalli (kindle)
2.      A Kiss in the Dark: Cat Clarke (Kindle)
3.      Big Bones: Laura Dockrill (Kindle)
4.      Slay: Kim Curran
5.      I am Malala: Malala (Kindle)
6.      Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury

After seeing Love Simon at the cinema – and loving it, I might add – it seemed only fair that I eventually read the book. Cat Clarke’s books never fail to rip you apart with the sheer brutality of the emotions, and they have this power to really zap you in. I went back to the kindle in a big way this month, but the winner of best book has to be Slay by Kim Curran. I mean, where was this book when I was a teen? Vampire slaying with musicians and kick ass women…sign me up. The sequel should be out soon and I cannot wait. Also I bought this from my local book shop: Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town. I love this bookshop so a big shout out to them, and Kim Curran who is a lovely human being!

Books I Read in June

1    1.       Perfect: Cecelia Ahern (Kindle)
2.      Clean: Juno Dawson (Kindle)
3.      Innamorarsi di April: Melvin Burgess
4.      Time and the Hunter: Italo Calvino
5.      La Straordinaria Avventura di Gatto Melanzana: Manuela Menini
6.      How do you Like me Now?: Holly Bourne
7.      SAGA Volume 6: Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan

Finally I finished the Italian novel I had started a couple of months previously. The book was tough to read and dealt with some tricky issues and took me a while, but I got through it, my second full novel in Italian. Woo hoo. I highly recommend the book whether read in English or translated. Melvin Burgess is fabulous. The winner of this month is Clean by Juno Dawson. It is about addiction in young people and I thought it would be thoroughly depressing, but it was full of hope and humour and a really great read.

Books I Read in July

1    1.   Argilla: David Almond (In Italian)
2.      In Patagonia: Bruce Chatwin (Kindle)

Not much read this month, but we were on holiday for two weeks and if you have any idea what my holidays are like, you would understand how not much relaxing and reading ever goes on. The winner this month is Argilla by David Almond, again I read it translated in Italian, and it only took me two weeks, my new record. It felt like a big achievement and it also meant reading one of my favourite authors. Everybody wins and I learn more Italian.

Books I Read in August

1    1.    Jane Eyre: Charlotte Bronte
2.      Festa di Famiglia: Sveva Casati Modignani
3.      NW: Zadie Smith
4.      SAGA Volume 7: Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan
5.      The Bookshop: Penelope Fitzgerald (Kindle)
6.      Anything is Possible: Elizabeth Stroud

Can you believe it? I made it to the tender age of 34 without having read Jane Eyre, though at least I got it in before my 35^th Birthday. That would have been embarrassing. What can I say? It’s a masterpiece. And I shall be reading it again and again over the years, I am sure.

Books I Read in September

1    1.    The Lost and the Found: Cat Clarke (Kindle)
2.      A Boy Called Ocean: Chris Higgins (Library)
3.      The Trees: Ali Shaw
4.      L’arte di correre: Haruki Murakami

This month I took in another Italian book, this one non-fiction and autobiographical. Also a little hard going and unnecessarily flowery at times, but still, good to experience new vocabulary and literary devices in a different language. This month’s winner is Cat Clarke, who writes awesome books for a YA audience and has the ability to pull you in and have you feeling all of the emotions.

Books I Read In October

1    1.      A Quiet Kind of Thunder: Sara Barnard (Kindle)
2.      84K: Claire North
3.      Classic Ghost Stories: Dickens et al…
4.      The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories: Angela Carter

I tried to have a slightly spooky Halloween month and thoroughly enjoyed all the short ghost stories and my first reading of Angela Carter. I already have a couple of her other books to divulge at my leisure. But Sara Barnard’s romantic tale of a mute girl and a deaf boy is just so charming and heart breaking and heart-warming and brilliant, that I read it in two days, despite working both of those days. If you haven’t read any Sara Barnard, check her out.

Books I Read in November

1    1.    Spinning Silver: Naomi Novik
2.      SAGA Volume 8: Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan
3.      Are we all Lemmings and Snowflakes?: Holly Bourne (Kindle)
4.      Alias Grace: Margaret Atwood
5.      Kitchen: Banana Yoshimoto (In Italian)

Another great mix of books this month. Another Italian novel, read in ten days – my new record - and thoroughly enjoyed, another volume of SAGA which never fails to entertain, and another book by YA legend: Holly Bourne. But the year is not complete without at least one Margaret Atwood book and Alias Grace is epic.

 Books I Read In December

1    1.    My Brilliant Friend: Elena Ferrante
2.      The Story of a New Name: Elena Ferrante
3.      And a Happy New Year: Holly Bourne (Kindle)
4.      All the Bright Places: Jennifer Niven (Kindle)
5.      Valley of the Dolls: Jacqueline Susann (Kindle)

Okay, so you tell me how to pick a favourite from this choice line up? December really was a top month to finish the year on. Finally introducing myself into the world of Elena Ferrante, revisiting the Spinster Club for its final outing, and reading a book that is over fifty years old but feels like it was written last week. I took in some new authors, all women, with great stories….ahhhh! It’s too hard to choose. So I will take the wuss way out. You all win. You’re brilliant and I can’t wait to get started on the books I got for Christmas, let alone all the new wonderful new releases and classics and books already out there to be explored in 2019.

So the final tally was 64! Not a patch on previous years but sometimes it is nice to just take your time and not rush things. Whilst most of 2018 was awash with anguish and political strife and upset, at least the literary world was keeping us entertained and will always continue to do so. 

This is Rants out for another year. 

Happy New Year. 

Buon Anno.

And all the best for 2019. May there only be small scale, every day grievance style rants, and not great big, hairy, tearing countries and communities apart rants. 

Rants

Keeping Tabs and Wasting Time

Hello lovely Rants readers. So yesterday I had an appointment to get my phone battery changed at a place in Soho. The slot had been booked since last Friday and I was taking advantage of the Apple offer to change battery for £25, before the offer ends on the 31st December. But then on Tuesday evening, I received an email, which I didn't see until Wednesday morning, which basically said we may not have a battery for you, so call us in advance. I called them and of course they didn't have any batteries left, despite this slot having been booked, specifically for a battery replacement, five days previously.

I frantically researched for an alternative spot and found the one remaining slot at the Apple store in Covent Garden at 3.35pm. I was teaching at 4.30pm but I figured it was my last shot and I'd be cutting it fine, but I should still make it. So I leave a little bit early to make sure I've got enough time to navigate the chaos that is Covent Garden at Christmas, and I've backed up my phone, done all the preamble they asked for and even managed to get my phone out of its heavy duty, you-will-not-break -even-if-I-drop-you, case, which is not easy.

I wait a few minutes to be seen and they basically tell me my battery is running at 90% which considering it is around 3 years old, is great. He also tells me I don't actually need to get it replaced, but A had been badgering me about this for months and obviously thought it should be done. And now I'm faced with a decision and I can't seem to make it. And I hate myself for that because I'm an independent woman who, believe it or not, can actually make decisions for herself, but when it comes to technology does not trust herself, because the technology generally hates her. So I call A, and feel the feminists judge me, because I ask him what he thinks I should do. And whilst I would love to save the money, A insists its the right way to go. So I do it. I hand over my phone and the guy says it'll be ready about 5.00pm.

I head off to teach two private lessons in Angel, without the ability to listen to music - as I gave in my phone - and without anyway of contacting anyone. But I had a good book I'd just started on the kindle: a YA I've been meaning to read for years, and I get stuck in. (All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. It's very good.)

After teaching my final two students before Christmas, I ask about buses back to Convent Garden - again, can't check because of no phone - and I find my way back to the Apple store. It's now 6.40pm and I expect to be in and out. I am not. I am immediately signed in and they say it's busy but we'll have someone with you as soon as we can. Now I'm a patient person - I work with kids, I have to be - but after twenty minutes, I started to get a bit agitated. The lights were too bright. I was reading but not always taking it in, because if I lost myself to the book I might become invisible and they would pass right by me.

After half an hour, I started to very carefully, glare at the girl who signed me in. I was tired, hungry, dehydrated and borderline pissed off at this point, and still nothing. At this point I realise via my fitness watch that I've had a missed call - presumably from A - but whilst I can see I've been called, I can't actually answer a call. So I sit and think, he'll realise where I am, plus I'll be out of here soon. But after 45 minutes, I am still there, on the same stool, needing the toilet, my eyes now sick of the lights - I don't know how people work there eight hours a day - and I can't hold it in any longer. (My frustration not my pee.) The woman comes back and says, 'You've been waiting a while. Let me check up for you.' I say it's been 45 minutes, with the most polite yet pissed off tone I can manage. She finds someone else, who says give it five more minutes and if no one arrives, they will literally go up and get it themselves. I mean, if that was an option, why couldn't they have done that in the first place? But anyhoo, at least people are aware.

Three minutes later, a woman appears and bellows my name. But at this point I can't manage a smile. I'm not happy it's there, I'm tired and hungry/cranky - which is one of the worst types of cranky - and I know that A will have been panicking and sending messages and freaking out, because we're all so used to being able to contact someone all the time and to know where they are all the time, that the immediate thought when you can't is: panic, some one's hurt or dead or there's a zombie apocalypse. Chill out people. There was life before the technology that keeps tabs on us. There were days and weeks when you didn't contact people but you didn't immediately presume bad things. I kinda miss those days. But then I also missed listening to music on the bus journey.

Gilbert (my phone) was returned and hastily bundled back into his heavy duty case. There's a reason he looks so good and is in fine condition, because he is wrapped in armour enough to withstand my occasional lack of coordination, my lack of spacial awareness and the times when you just drop shit for no apparent reason. And there are the missed calls and the messages. A was so panicky that he wouldn't start cooking until he had heard from me. It is ridiculous what technology has done to us. We have to have contact or that person is in trouble. We have to have contact or something bad has happened.

What did we do before hand? Did parents really panic and worry every single second of the day because they didn't know your exact whereabouts? Did boyfriends and girlfriends, partners or spouses, panic about who was doing the shopping for the evening meal, or who was going to be back first, or where you were and what you were doing? No, you decided these things before you left the house, or you left a note, or you called them on the landline. And if there was an issue, then you found a pay phone, or you were just late back and then you explained the reason, or made an excuse.

We should try some experiments. Turn your phone off for a couple of hours, or refuse to answer messages and see what happens. Am I just cruel? Or would that be a lot of fun?

Rants out.